Billfold



Feb. 18, 1947.

L. 1 SHERWOOD 2,416,026

BILLFOLD` Filed June l2, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. cyf/en/oap,

Feb. 18, 1947.

L. L.. SHERWOOD BILLFOLD Filed June l2, 19.45 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. /E/a wa 0o I l BY Patented Feb. 18, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BILLFoLD Lester L. Sherwood, Los Angeles, Calif. Application June 12, 1943, Serial No. 490,603

(Cl. 15o-38) 2 Claims.

My invention relates to a pocket bill fold adapted t contain paper currency, checks, business cards, stamps, license and identification cards, and the like, and the principal objects of my invention are, to provide a simple, practical and inexpensive bill fold which is devoid of all stitching, or fastening means of metal, plastics and the like, and further, to provide a bill fold wherein the main body portion and the side and end flaps which co-operate with the body portion and with each other in forming pockets, are composed of a single piece of leather or like thin flexible material.

A further object of my invention is to provide a, bill fold of the character referred to, which includes separately formed flexible members, adapted t0 be detachably connected to parts of the bill fold to serve as a closure for the ends of certain of the pockets therein, also for receiving and conveniently holding transparent envelopes which may contain license and identification cards.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: l

Fig. 1 is a View of the body of the bill fold in open unfolded condition.

Fig. 2' is an elevational view in partially open condition. l

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of a portion of a modified form of the bill fold and showing the detachable pocket end closing member applied thereto.

Fig. 5 is a view of the pocket end closing member in unfolded condition.

Fig. 6 isY a vertical section taken on the line 6-61of Fig. 2.

Fig. l is a view of the detachable transparent envelope carrying member in open unfolded condition.

. Fig. 8 is a detail View of the corner of one o f the transparent envelopes.

Fig. 9 is a detail section of a portion yof the envelope carrier and showing a pair of envelopes attached thereto.

Fig. 10 is an elevational view of a portion of the bill fold in open condition and showing the envelope carrier applied thereto.-

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section showing the enof the bill fold y the inner face ofouter wall II as illustrated by r2 velope carrier connected'to the bill fold so as to be quickly removed therefrom.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view similar to Fig. 11 and v showing the envelope carrier connected to the bill fold by one of the leather buckles and its strap.

Referring by numerals to Vthe accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, body of the bill fold which lis composed of leather or other thin ilexible material, and said body is cut to form a rectangular outer wall I I', an outer wall lining I2, foldable on the`dotted line a, pocket forming walls I3 foldable on the dotted lines b, pocket forming walls I4, foldable on the dotted lines c, and flaps I5 and I5a integral with walls I4, and foldable on the dotted lines d.

Flap I5 is provided with a square aperture I6 for the reception of a leather buckle, and flap |511 is provided with a pair of square buckle receiving apertures l'I.` y

' Formed integral with the lower edge of outer wall II are flaps I8 and Ia, foldable on the dotted lines e and between theselaps isa small reinforcing ap I9, which when the bill fold is made up, is folded upwardly and cemented to dotted lines f.

Flap I8 is provided with a pair of horizontally disposed slits 2U for the reception of parts of a leather buckle and flap |80, is provided with two pairs of similarslits 2|.

,When the main body of the bill fold is made up, lining wall I2 is folded downwardly onto the inner face of outer wall II and the space between said walls forms a, secret pocket 22 for the reception of paper currency, valuable papers and the like.

WallsVw I4 are now folded upwardly onto walls I3 and the latter are now folded inwardly onto the end portions of lining wall I2 with walls I4 between saidwalls I3 and the lining wall.

A rectangular connector wall 23 of leather or the likeV and smaller in dimensions than outer wall II, has its end portions inserted between walls I4 and I3 and the spaces between said walls form pockets for the reception of cards, stamps, folded ,notepapers and the like.` f

TheV central portion 0f wall 23 bridges the space between the inner edges of the pocket form- I0 designates theV main l the latter are folded upwardly onto the outer faces of the walls I3. After the folds I and IEa have been folded downward onto the outer faces of flaps I3, the projecting portions of the buckles are inserted through the apertures l5 and I'I and straps 25 which depend from the buckles behind said flaps I5 and 15a, are now drawn upward on the outer faces of said flaps and inserted through those portions 'of the buckles 4whichproject through openings I9 and I1, thus securing the flaps in closed positions (see Fig. 2).

The leather buckles and straps utilized in my. improved bill fold are identical with-those i1- lustrated and described in my co-pending ap'- plication for U. S. Letters Patent led February 20, 1943, Ser. No. 476,554, now Patent No. 2,388,444, issued November 6, 1945'.

In some instances, it may be found desirable to dispense with the connector wall 23 and to provide `pockets between thewall lill and right hand portion of lining walll2, and in such case, a rectangular wall 25 of leather or the like is positioned between said walls i2 and I4 and a flap 2l on the. left hand end of said wall 25 is bent rearwardly so as to occupy a position between wall I3 and flap ISa (see Figs. 4 and 5). This flap is provided with spaced parallel slits 28 for the accommodation of parts of the left hand one of the leather buckles which united flaps 15a and Ia.

Thus a pocket 29, closed at both ends and bottom and open at its top, is formed between the Walls I4 and 26 and a pocket 30 open. at top and left hand end and closed at bottom and right hand end, is provided between wall 26 and the right hand portion of lining wall I2.

Pocket 29 being closedon three sides provides a convenient and fairly safe receptacle for coins. In Figs. l to 12 inclusive I have shown means for carrying in the bill fold, one or more transparent envelopes adapted to containlicense cards, personal identication cards and the like and such means consists of a rectangular" section v3l of flexible material such as leather provided at its right hand end with a flapv 3 2, foldable on the dotted line h and formed in said member 3l near its left hand end are pairs of slits 33. The material between said slits provides narrow flexible strips 34 which are adapted to pass through substantially T-shaped slots 35 formed in the ends of transparent envelopes 36 (see Figs.

8 and 9). l

This envelope carrier may 'be associated with the bill fold so as to be readily removed therefrom to exhibit the cards or certificates contained in the envelopes, by placing said carrier `between flap I8 and wall I3, with the right hand end of member 3I folded over the adjacent ends of the envelopes and with flap 32 positioned between the right hand end of wall I3 Vand connector wall 23 (see Fig. 11). f y

In Fig. A12 the envelope carrier is shown detachably connected to flap IIS. Where such arrangement isgcarried out, the center of member 3l isv providedwith a pair of slits 31 for the reception of parts ofV the-leather buckle that is as-` sociated'with the flaps :I5 and I8. Thus it will be seen that I have provided aibill fold which is simple in construction,

inexpensive.

of manufacture, entirely devoid of stitching or other fastening and securing means and very effective in performing the functions for which it 1. A bill fold body formed from a single piece I of thin flexible material and comprising an outer wall, a lining member integral with the upper edge of said outer wall, pocket forming walls integral with the ends of said outer wall, pocket forming walls integral with the lower edges of said first mentioned pocket forming walls, flaps integral with the lower edges of said second mentioned pocket forming walls for closing the upper ends of the 4pockets formed by said pocket forming walls, spaced flaps integral with the lower edge of said outer wall and foldable into position beneath said first mentioned flaps said second mentioned iiaps being provided with pairs of slits and flexible means including a keeper and strap detachably seated in the slits in said second mentioned flaps and passing through and partially across the outer faces of said first mentioned flaps for securing them in pocket closing positions.

2. In a bill fold the combination with a body formed from a single piece of thin flexible material and comprising an outer wall, a lining member integral with the upper edge of said outer Wall, pocket forming walls integral with the ends of said outer wall, pocket forming walls integral with .the lower edges of said rst mentioned pocket forming walls, pocket closing flaps integral with the lower edges of said second mentioned pocket forming walls, said flaps being provided with apertures, and spaced flaps integral with the loweredge of said outer wall and provided with pairs of slits, which when the pocket forming walls and flaps are folded, coincide with the apertures in said pocket closing flaps, flexible loops which pass through said slits and apertures and straps integral with said .loops for passing through the latter outside the flaps having the apertures, for detachably securing said flaps to one another.

LESTER L. SHERWOOD;

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record inthe leV of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS.

Number Name Date 1,694,186`v Lllnfant` Dec. 4, 1928 1,964,460 Gardner June 26, 1934 1,972,295 Gardner Sept. 4, 1934 2,154,826. Stember' etal Apr. 18, 1939 2,158,913 Bauhaus 4 May 16, 1939 2,291,259. l Sherwood July 28, 1942 1,832,625 yGardner Nov. 1'?, 1931 

